Spruce Creek honors ex-weightlifting coach Ramey

Published: Wednesday, April 10, 2013 at 3:30 p.m.

Last Modified: Wednesday, April 10, 2013 at 6:08 p.m.

DELAND — The legacy of Dave Ramey, the first weightlifting coach at Spruce Creek High School who laid the foundation for a program that's racked up multiple championships over the years, will live on forever at the Port Orange school.

The Volusia County School Board voted this week to name Spruce Creek's weightlifting room in Ramey's honor.

Ramey became the weightlifting coach at Spruce Creek when the school opened in 1975 and remained there until he retired in 1996. He coached the weightlifting team to 14 state championships and it's won 10 more since then, said David Nelson, Spruce Creek's current weightlifting coach and Ramey's former student.

Nelson said Ramey taught his young athletes about the importance of discipline, hard work in the classroom and integrity.

"We had some of the greatest kids in the country," Ramey said Tuesday at the board meeting. He taught and coached more than 37 years in all, working at Seabreeze, Mainland and New Smyrna Beach high schools before moving to Spruce Creek.

<p>DELAND &mdash; The legacy of Dave Ramey, the first weightlifting coach at Spruce Creek High School who laid the foundation for a program that's racked up multiple championships over the years, will live on forever at the Port Orange school. </p><p>The Volusia County School Board voted this week to name Spruce Creek's weightlifting room in Ramey's honor. </p><p>"He made a lasting impact on our school," Spruce Creek Principal Todd Sparger told the School Board. </p><p>Ramey became the weightlifting coach at Spruce Creek when the school opened in 1975 and remained there until he retired in 1996. He coached the weightlifting team to 14 state championships and it's won 10 more since then, said David Nelson, Spruce Creek's current weightlifting coach and Ramey's former student. </p><p>Nelson said Ramey taught his young athletes about the importance of discipline, hard work in the classroom and integrity. </p><p>"We had some of the greatest kids in the country," Ramey said Tuesday at the board meeting. He taught and coached more than 37 years in all, working at Seabreeze, Mainland and New Smyrna Beach high schools before moving to Spruce Creek. </p><p><i>&mdash;Linda Trimble</i></p>